A generic method is known from DE 10 2009 025 545 A1, in which that part of the surroundings of a vehicle which is in front of the vehicle is covered by means of a vehicle camera and analyzed with respect to the detection of flashing signals (stop lights in particular) in the image data. If a stop light is detected, automatic driver assistance control (e.g., longitudinal control and/or lateral control) is performed. DE 10 2009 025 545 A1 also proposes outputting information signals to a visual display device and/or an acoustic output device if a stop light is detected. Stop lights are detected as a result of the subdivision of the image data into sections (bottom central section, bottom left section, bottom right section) so that also a raised stop light (third stop light) can be detected. Furthermore, color differentiation is performed for the purpose of distinguishing the red stop lights from the orange or yellow flashing lights.
DE 10 2009 025 545 A1 also describes a method for the detection of stop light systems by means of an analysis of image data of that part of the surroundings of the vehicle which is in front of the vehicle, said image data being acquired by means of a vehicle camera. If a vehicle is detected in the image by means of an analyzing unit connected to the camera system, an image sector associated with this vehicle is subdivided into a left section, a central section, and a right section. On the basis of brightness values of the pixels contained in these sections, at least one brightest image segment is extracted from each of these sections and checked in each case to see whether the extracted image segment from the left section and the extracted image segment from the right section are equally sized and situated at the same height and whether the brightest image segment from the central section is situated in a higher and centered position between the brightest image segments from the left and right sections. If this is the case, the analyzing unit outputs a stop light signal that causes the stop light of the vehicle to be activated.
The purpose of equipping vehicles with a third brake light (also known as a raised brake light, a center high-mounted stop lamp, or a center-mounted brake light) consists in increasing the attention of a driver of a following vehicle in order to reduce the risk of rear-end collisions. Especially when driving in a convoy of vehicles, drivers are required to be very careful so that braking operations performed by vehicles driving ahead of the vehicle driving immediately ahead of the ego-vehicle (i.e. subject vehicle) can be detected early enough since the low-mounted bilateral brake lights of those braking vehicles are often covered by the vehicle driving immediately ahead of the ego-vehicle so that, e.g., only the high-mounted third brake light is visible.